1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which restricts an output of an image contained in a predetermined region of image data in response to an output method of the image data and an image processing method, a program, and a storage medium therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image data containing various contents can easily be handled. In various scenes, image data is output and used. For example, image data (containing text data and image data) prepared beforehand as documents of a meeting can be stored in a storage medium, output to a large display apparatus, and projected onto a screen using a projector.
Further, in order to distribute stored image data to participants as documents of a meeting, the image data can be printed using a printer or can be transmitted to terminals of respective participants as a file attached to an electronic mail.
Recently, there has been an increasing necessity to ensure sufficient security of highly confidential information. For example, when highly confidential information is contained in image data, which is displayed and used as a presentation material for a meeting, if the image data is printed and transmitted as is, the highly confidential information may be disclosed. For example, if image data is printed at the meeting and distributed to the meeting attendees, the attendees could accidentally walk off with the image data containing the highly confidential information. If the image data is transmitted via electronic mail, an unintended recipient of the electronic mail may obtain a copy of the image data, and thus access the highly confidential information.
Thus, as a method for ensuring a security of a region containing highly confidential information in image data, the following method is discussed. That is, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-298122 discusses an information disclosure system that sets a disclosure level for each region in image data. Then, when a user requests to read the image data, the image data is revised (for example, region where disclosure is restricted is masked) corresponding to a level of a reading right of the user and disclosed.
However, according to a method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-298122, an output of an image in a predetermined region can be restricted as to each user who reads image data but cannot be restricted in response to an output method.
For example, the method cannot handle a case where display of an image contained in a region where image data used as documents of a meeting exists is permitted but printing is prohibited. In such a case, a user must prepare each image data for display and printing respectively beforehand. This causes a troublesome operation. Similarly, if printing is permitted and transmission is prohibited, each image data for printing and transmission must be prepared in advance respectively.